Years ago…oh, too long ago to count…I owned a small gift store: among other things I sold hand-crafted jewelry. One of my vendors invited me to a bead show…I bought some things…I didn’t know what I would do with them, I just liked them. They sat in a box in a closet for years. Then, I met a friend who showed me how to tie off a necklace with a clasp and crimp. I really intended to just finish the beads I had into wearable necklaces…but something happened. I started going to bead shows and acquiring beads…plastic bead boxes began filling up and then a new shelf unit appeared and began filling up with boxes. I began to play with beads. Recently, I realized I had made far too many necklaces to ever wear them all. So, I decided to set up a website and here it is: www.theeccentricbeader.com. Your comments, especially constructive critiques, will be very much appreciated.

I July I traveled to Oregon to visit family. My older sister is in a care facility an we were cleaning out her house. One one of those days I came across a small brass bole filled with rocks: “pretty rocks”. My sisters and I have always been rock collectors. I took it outside and emptied it next to the patio by a downspout next to the house, and went back inside to continue working.

That evening, I was sitting on the patio beside the downspout talking on the cell phone. My left hand was playing with the rocks. I was not paying attention or focusing on that hand. And suddenly the hand picked up this:

stone bead

I remember the day my sister found this object/ artifact. We were on a camping trip with the family somewhere in the “wilderness” of Oregon/Washington/Idaho. While my father fished, us girls would comb the area, especially dry creek beds, for rocks: geodes, agates, petrified wood. This object was something special. It was obviously worked by human hands, a hole skillfully drilled, the piece perhaps shaped for a specific purpose.I had totally forgotten about it, and had not seen it for perhaps 60 years! For me, it was a gift and a message from Spirit. I had completely missed it the first time around, dumping out the bowl of rocks without even looking at the contents. But, Spirit, through the right brain, knew it was there and my hand was intuitively guided to search and find it.

After contemplating this experience and this object, the meaning has come clear. For me it represents the ancestral past. Not my genealogical ancestors, but those human ancestors of us all who lived on this land hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago; who were hunter-gatherers totally connected with the Earth and Spirit. They survived and thrived because of this connection and developed what I call Spiritual Technology.

As humans we are hardwired for experiencing altered states of consciousness, for channeling healing energy through our hands and for creating and manifesting in the physical realm. Our current technological culture had robbed us of these inner powers; of the knowledge of these powers.

Many people today believe that technology will save us from ourselves and the damage that we have caused. They envision a vast future of more and more advanced technology,.

I believe that the technology of materialism as we are experiencing and using it today not only will fail, it is failing now. It is destroying the Earth and diminishing humans and our innate powers. More and more research in neuroscience is rediscovering these built in capacities that are the basis of Spiritual Technology.Many ancient cultures, including the Aborigines of Australia and the Huna in Hawaii, developed these spiritual technologies to a very high degree. “Modern Reality” has obliterated these cultures and their life-giving and lifesaving practices. Today we face unprecedented and ongoing destruction of the natural world, and the threat to our very survival.For me, this artifact is a reminder that we must reconnect and cultivate this Spirit/Earth awareness and we can learn thru these ancient cultural practices, many of which survive today.

Today we are very different humans from those past cultures, because we have developed our Left Brain intellectual capacities at the expense of the Right Brain spiritual innate capacities. I believe we can use all of our gifts, our incredible whole brain in an entirely new way for the benefit and survival of all life: the earth, the creatures and humans.

As the morning sunlight touches the tops of the trees, I open my heart and my mind to receive the manifest blessings of this new day. I know that the One Divine Reality creates and sustains All That Is: every leaf, every tiny creature, every breeze and every sound is part of me. I am one with All Life.

I joyfully anticipate the unfolding of this day. Each moment, as I focus my attention on the tasks before me, I move calmly and mindfully. I remain aware of and tuned into the outdoor sights and sounds. I am calm and at peace with my world. I touch my feet to the ground knowing I am Here Now in this amazing place. I allow the sights, sounds and smells of this beautiful place and time to surround and enfold me. I am immersed in the beauty of the Divine Creation: Beauty above me, Beauty below me; Beauty all around me. With Joy and Gratitude I receive this gift of sensing,perceiving and experiencing this beautiful world.

I am calm and at peace in my world, knowing I am supported by Spirit. Opening to the Divine Guidance within, I respond to myself and others with loving kindness, patience and non-judgement.

I live each moment with an attitude of gratitude for all this Beauty! I joyfully anticipate the unfolding of this day, as I release these words into the Divine Action of the Law, knowing I receive according to my beliefs.

Years ago, I read a short story by Alice Munroe called “The Moons of Jupiter”. I had no Idea what the title might mean. I have long since forgotten the story. I may not have understood its intended meaning either. I wasn’t much into metaphor back then.

Friedrich Nietzsche spoke of “…the will to ignorance…” or the conscious choice to ignore important, and possibly necessary and urgent (new) information; and how strong this urge is in the human mind. Why is that?

I also read somewhere a story about Galileo and his telescope, which got him into a lot of trouble. When he was under the Inquisition, he offered his inquisitor the opportunity to look through his telescope and see the moons of Jupiter for himself. The Church Father refused. Why would he do that?

Today the Flow of Life is beckoning me to join in joyfully with all my heart and soul! I open to receive the manifest blessings of the One Divine Creative Intelligence as it flows through all of Its creation. I know that this Divine Presence expresses through me, as me, as an out-picturing of my beliefs.

Today I know with every fiber of my being that this Life is Eternal, and that my life has meaning and purpose. I am here to express the Highest Good for all beings. I open myself body, mind and spirit to receive and express the flow of Divine Guidance, Divine Love and Divine Blessings outward to others as patience, acceptance, loving kindness and simple affection.

I honor the reciprocity of Givingness: to receive is to give is to receive. I know all my needs are met, I am loved and supported; I have everything I need with plenty left over to share.

I relax into a deep state of Peace, Acceptance and Gratitude for all that I receive and all that I am able to give today.

I now release these words with joy and love and gratitude knowing it is already so,!

Further thought about Spiritual principles;
A long line of thinkers, philosophers and researchers has come up with the following ideas about mind:
The mind (not the brain) can be divided into two aspects: the outer or conscious mind and the inner or subconscious mind. The outer mind is our executive function: it receives information and acts on that information by making a decision about what it means. The subconscious or unconscious mind receives the impress of our thoughts (beliefs) and creates a response on the material plane whether in the body or in the outer world of events. The unconscious mind is also the store house of all our memories and beliefs and these influence our every behavior without our knowing about it. Our unconscious thoughts or beliefs are the power behind most of our choices and actions. Most of the time, this is just fine. It is when we find ourselves reacting in ways that we do not agree with consciously, that prompts us to look deeper. Our thoughts are busy creating our reality whether those thoughts are conscious or not. We can call the outer mind the Objective mind and use the power of this focused awareness to impress on the Subconscious or Subjective mind what we want instead. According the Spiritual Philosophy, the Objective Mind has power over the Subjective Mind. The subjective mind is impersonal: it has no agenda of its own: it does not act independently and receives the thought whether good or bad and acts on it without judgment. It is the executive mind that has the power of decision and can talk to the deeper mind and give it instructions. This is where we can begin to change our experience.
We also participate in Group Mind or Mass Mind. Group mind works the same way as our individual mind. It receives the impress of our collective thoughts: those generated by media, for example, and responds by creating those conditions in the outer world.
Here is another opportunity to explore what you believe and where those beliefs are coming from. How much of what we believe about the outer world comes from direct experience and how much from other outside sources such as Television and newspapers or online sources?
More often than not our deepest beliefs are those we absorb from outside: parents, teachers, church and culture. And we have absorbed those ideas since birth, and act on them unconsciously most of the time. This is not necessarily bad. However, as we begin to question our own responses to the outer world, we can begin to plant new ideas and beliefs to replace those that no longer serve us. Actually, we have been doing this all our lives. Once upon a time, you may have believed in Santa Claus, only to discover that your parents were the ones who actually placed the candy in your stocking and the gifts under the tree. As a result of this experience, your belief changed! Culturally, our beliefs change as new information, particularly scientific, becomes available. We no longer believe that the Earth is flat, although we may still experience that as “true” locally. But the old belief has been replaced by pictures of the earth from space, air travel and other input. There are also many erroneous beliefs that we have downloaded from outside sources that are beginning to change. One of those ideas that dominates our present day thinking is that disease is something that comes from the outside. There is ample evidence that this is not entirely so. Although environmental factors such as toxic pollution cannot be excluded here, our response to an increasingly toxic, crowed and degraded world is STRESS, and this is generated as much by our response to the conditions we experience, our thoughts and deep beliefs, as to the outside conditions themselves. So here we have a way to change our experience of the outside world by speaking to our deeper mind, our inner self the very words that can change the inner belief and by doing so, change our experience to what we want instead!

How does this apply to the world of events: global climate change, etc? that is the subject of the next post…

The study of New Thought/Science of Mind has completely changed the way I think about and explain hypnosis. Most people believe that the process of hypnosis involves putting something into or onto the client or taking something out. This is believed to be an action performed by the hypnotist to the client. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Hypnosis is an altered state of mind experienced while deeply relaxed. The therapist and the client agree ahead of time what process will be used while the client is experiencing hypnosis. Sessions are either interactive ( the client is asked to share experience or information while in trance), or passive (suggestions agreed upon prior to hypnosis are given to the client while in trance).

Using hypnosis for the treatment of chronic illness such as Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, MS and others, supposes that there is some thought or belief that is the root cause of the illness, and that root cause can be removed, and replaced by a thought or belief that creates a beneficial outcome (wellness).

How can this be possible?

According to modern physics the universe is energy. This energy is consciousness, or Mind. Sir Aurthur Eddington once said that the universe seems more like a great thought than a great machine.

We know that mind and matter are one, a continuum. Mind is the non-material, invisible aspect (consciousness) and matter is the visible, tangible aspect, or expression of Mind. According to the New Thought philosophy everything “expressed” in the body is a result of the action of mind.Mind creates matter.

According to this idea, every chronic illness is an expression of a thought, idea or belief. Thoughts are “things”, they have power. Thoughts influence our actions, create our emotions and literally create our experience of reality.( See Your Thoughts Create Your Reality).

In the Shamanic world view, an illness can be caused by an intrusion: usually a thought form that comes from outside. That thought form can be something said or done to the person who receives it.

In order to change the experience, we have to change the thought/idea creating the experience. This can only take place with the full consent, or willingness, and engagement of the client.

The therapist explains the process and the therapist and client agree as to what actions will be taken. The therapist is a guide and a facilitator. The content of the experience is totally within the clients own mind. What happens can never be fully anticipated. It is always a surprise.

Hypnosis allows the client to access deeper “unconscious” thoughts, beliefs, and memories, including past life experiences. When the root cause is accessed the client and therapist work together to convince the deeper mind to change it’s mind!

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can change state. The hypnotic processes used, sub-personality, regression and suggestion, all help the client change energy patterns in beneficial ways that can express as improved health, and new behaviors in the everyday waking mind experience.

Another look at the email dilemma
After a certain point, it is useless to petition the corporate elite to makes changes that benefit the majority: US. These folks have been working for decades to bring about these changes, working to achieve the current state of affairs of control of the political system and total control of the economic system. They almost have what they want!

The State of Alaska depends on oil revenues and the people of Alaska receive cash benefits from the sale of oil. Alaska was selling off drilling leases before any of the rest of us knew about it. Prudhoe Bay is nearly pumped dry! Here is a perfect example of a local benefit that can have disastrous consequences for the rest of us. Who is going to choose? Are we really asking Shell to make choices totally in opposition to its own reason for existing?
WE HAVE TO CHANGE! US! AND radically change, before any real change is possible! And how hard it is to change…When we are constantly bombarded with negative input and the subjective mind is taking it all in! Even the most subtle persuasion like advertising/marketing slips past the censor. And the media messages, especially TV, generate fear, anger and again fear. We each of us need a strong conscious belief system in place to counter the effects of the outside input, and a daily practice of affirmative thinking to replace the “normal” inner dialogue of despair.

“It is an old and honorable piece of knowledge that the more your fight something, the more life you give it.” -Ervin Seale

If everything we experience in the outer world is created by thought: this is both individual thought and collective thought, then we can begin to change the outer events through focusing our thoughts. One of the Spiritual Principles is the Law of Attraction: which simply stated is “What you focus on, you get more of”. This is why all the rallies and protests and blockades etc. seem to increase the very outcomes we don’t want. The confrontational approach seems to feed the flames. All our “I don’t wants” bring us more of the same!

Just as the corporate world has focused on their goals for decades, bring into fruition their “thoughts” and desires, we the people can do the same through focusing our collective vision of the world we want!

We can begin with our individual vision and then gather like minded people to participate in sharing and focusing this vision. We can being by asking what do we want ? What is or vision for the world? You can ask yourself these questions. Sometimes it is easier to start with what we don’t want. As explained in the article on Affirmative prayer, we want to plant a seed in Divine Mind. What is it that we want to grow?

So to begin: I see a world dominated by isolation,separation,exclusion and fear, which creates powerlessness. In stead of which:isolation is replaced by active participation; exclusion by inclusion; fear by anticipation of a greater good for all, and joyous loving kindness towards all. We join in a “power with” others for the collective empowerment to benefit all.

I see that we are separately and collectively pursuing and satisfying our every selfish personal whim without thought to the consequences; we can consider the consequences of our every choice and place caring for others and the planet first, taking the position of harming none.

I see conflict everywhere; We can cultivate cooperation, even with those we are in colfict with, through understanding and support for others in need and walking in the other persons shoes.

I see a belief in the material world that excludes Spirit, a Godless Materialism that allows the human race to exploit the natural world by destroying it for the sake of money…a belief in money as God. I choose to replace this attitude with “living as though the God in all life matters.”

A “me first” attitude which includes “just taking care of myself, that’s all I can do”: This is a limited vision of our power and possibility! Creating an attitude of “We” through a connection to all beings : animals plants and humans and understanding how we are connected to all life. And recognizing we depend on this connection! Then we can take appropriate action in our persona life.

Replacing our current limited vision with an expanded version that creates a World that works for everyone!

Affirmative prayer is based on certain ideas and spiritual principles. We assume that our minds are expressions of the One Mind, and work in the same way. Our consciousness is a smaller version of Divine consciousness. The conscious thinking mind is the objective mind and the seat of the will: we have conscious choice. We can make decisions and act on them. Our thoughts are pure consciousness. They have power and we can direct them for ill or good. When we think, the inner mind or subjective mind”hears” or receives the thought and acts in such a way to bring the thought into material reality. This process is going on all the time whether we are aware of it or not.

We can make a conscious choice to use the power of our thoughts to create the life we want and more of what we desire. The process goes like this:

1. Acknowledge the qualities of the Divine that we wish to embody: Peace, Perfect Health, Abundance, Love etc.

2. Acknowledge that those qualities are yours, that you are one with the Divine.

3. State very clearly using first person present tense, as if now, exactly what you desire: I am, I have, I do.

4. Release any doubts,fears or beliefs that stop you from having what you want.

5. Express gratitude for all that you receive

6. Release the prayer knowing that it is done unto you as you believe.

In New Thought, the mechanism is the Law of Cause and Effect. Just as there are physical laws, such as the Law of Gravity, there are spiritual laws (or principles). They are mechanical in that they always work! They are impersonal. They work for everyone So when we release the prayer, in goes into the Law (of Cause and Effect.) The law of causation says that the idea placed into universal substance/ subjective mind is the cause that creates the effect (manifests) in material reality. It always works.

Spiritual Principles are ideas we have that explain certain observations of our experience. They are similar to scientific principles or laws, such as the Law of Gravity. We are all familiar with the experience of gravity: drop something and it falls to the ground. Trip and you fall! In our experience as planetary beings this law is infallible: it always works. It is a physical law.

Spiritual Laws that have been observed over millennia are currently being validated by Modern Science.

For example:Quantum Physics has demonstrated that everything in the physical universe is connected to everything else. The Spiritual Principle that mirrors this is the Principle of Unity: that Reality is one seamless whole:there is no separation from the Source of all being. There is one consciousness pervading all Reality.

Scientists do not create the Physical Laws, they discover and articulate them. Philosophers do not create Spiritual Principles or Laws, they observe and articulate them. The Spiritual Laws and Physical Laws mirror each other.

Another example is The Law of Cause and Effect or the Law of Consequences: The Universe responds to our thoughts: whatever we think, our ideas and beliefs, are reflected back to us in our experience. This is sometimes referred to as The Law of Attraction.